Somewhere in the south of France, near the village of Poussin, a community was born ten years ago from the seed of a shared dream. They called it Catfarm.

What started as an abandoned farm has evolved into a living laboratory of sustainability, where energy comes from the sun, water from an underground well, and everything finds a new purpose. No rigid schedules. No office routines. Just creative souls, Nature, and endless possibilities to live differently.

Today, Catfarm hosts between 15 and 20 people, a mix of permanent residents and volunteers who come and go, constantly feeding the project with fresh energy and ideas. It’s an ever-evolving space where creativity, sustainability, and self-sufficiency merge to build a collective vision of a better world.

The Story of Catfarm

Catfarm was born from an ideal—the desire to create a place where life could be reinvented beyond traditional expectations. The project took shape when a Dutch traveler, passionate about French music, stumbled upon an abandoned farm and saw potential where others only saw decay.

Day by day, dreamers and creators from around the world arrived, each contributing a piece of themselves to the transformation of Catfarm. What began with a single house and a few temporary structures soon became an intentional off-grid community.

Every wall, every pathway, every piece of land tells the story of the dreams that shaped it, the hands that built it, and the collective spirit that made it a reality.

Living with Intention

Here, homes are not just buildings. They are expressions of freedom. Some live in tiny houses, others in converted caravans, earthen domes, or self-built wooden structures.

Pierre and Bea chose to build their tiny house from scratch—a small, eight-by-three-meter retreat filled with warmth and intention. Walls made from natural and locally sourced materials, a compost system that nourishes the land, a terrace that breathes with the seasons. Everything has a purpose. Everything is self-sufficient.

Beyond the homes, workshops, communal spaces, and outdoor kitchens allow residents and visitors to share, learn, and create together. A wooden shed stores farming tools, while small eco-built structures provide cozy shelter for volunteers and guests choosing to experience life at Catfarm.

From Earth to Table

At Catfarm, time flows in sync with Nature. The days revolve around the permaculture garden, where companion plants exchange nutrients, create shade, and retain water.

No pesticides. No industrial farming. Just hands in the soil, growing and harvesting together organic food—nourishing both body and soul.

And then there’s the greenhouse, twice the size of the house. At the end of the cold season, seedlings begin to sprout here, preparing to bring the summer garden to life. An old bathtub is repurposed as a nursery. And to maximize resource use, the warm air from the greenhouse not only helps the plants but also provides the perfect spot for drying clothes on humid, rainy days.

Off-Grid Living at Catfarm

But Catfarm’s self-sufficiency model goes beyond food, embracing every aspect of community life. It is a pioneering example of fully off-grid living.

Water flows from the heart of the earth, drawn from an underground well. Greywater systems transform every drop into a valuable resource, reducing waste and respecting the natural cycle.

Energy comes from the sun—silent and constant—powering everything necessary. Compost toilets return nutrients to the land, while solar panels provide electricity, ensuring that nothing is wasted and everything is transformed.

It’s a simple but powerful balance—a way of life that nurtures, restores, and takes care of the world around us.

SmartCat: The Innovation of Self-Sufficiency

SmartCat is the intelligent system that monitors and manages resource use at Catfarm. Designed to track energy consumption, solar production, and water usage, it ensures everything runs efficiently and sustainably.

With SmartCat, the community can see in real-time how much energy the solar panels generate, how much water is available in the well, and how resources are being used. This system allows to reduce waste and to optimize self-sufficiency, making Catfarm a system that self-regulates and adapts to the needs of those who live there.

Working with Freedom

At Catfarm, work in the fields follows the rhythm of the earth. Some days stretch late into the night—planting, harvesting, working under the moon. Others move slowly, with moments of contemplation over tea brewed from homegrown mint, hands carving wood, minds dreaming up the next project.

Here, even work feels different. Catfarm is built on trust, collaboration, and personal expression. People come and go, contributing their skills, stories, and energy. No hierarchy. No boss. No fixed schedules. Just shared goals and open hearts, turning every challenge into an opportunity for collective growth.

A School of Life

Catfarm is a school of life where everyone is both a teacher and a student. Through permaculture, eco-building, and community living, knowledge is shared freely, turning every experience into a learning opportunity.

At Catfarm, education is accessible to all, without economic barriers. No one pays to stay. European funding and local support keep the doors open, welcoming WWOOFers and travelers eager to learn, share, and live an experience outside the ordinary.

The Tiny House Village Dream

Pierre and Bea are not stopping here. They dream of building a tiny house village—a space where more people can live and build their off-grid homes, creating a thriving ecosystem of people redefining the concept of home.

The idea is to create a larger community where everyone can contribute their skills and knowledge, fostering collective growth. The tiny houses will be built with sustainable materials and designed to integrate harmoniously with Nature.

Communal spaces will offer meeting points, workshops, and moments of connection, making the village a continuous, expanding experiment in community living and self-sufficiency.

In Conclusion

In the south of France, near the village of Poussin, Catfarm is an intentional community hosting around 20 people, a mix of permanent residents and volunteers from all over the world.

Here, life moves at the pace of nature, in a balance of self-sufficiency, sharing, and creativity. A place where permaculture nurtures not only the land but also the community that inhabits it. A reminder that we can build a different world—together, one choice at a time.